Valentich disappearance

The Valentich disappearance refers to the disappearance of 20-year-old Frederick Valentich while on a 125-mile (235 km) training flight in a Cessna 182L light aircraft over Bass Strait in Australia on 21 October 1978.

Described as a “flying saucer enthusiast”, Valentich radioed Melbourne air traffic control that he was being accompanied by an aircraft about 1,000 feet (300 m) above him, that his engine had begun running roughly, and finally reported, “It’s not an aircraft.”

There were belated reports of a UFO sighting in Australia on the night of the disappearance, however Associated Press reported that the Department of Transport was skeptical a UFO was behind Valentich’s disappearance, and that some of their officials speculated that “Valentich became disorientated and saw his own lights reflected in the water, or lights from a nearby island, while flying upside down.”

Frederick Valentich had about 150 total hours flying time and held a class four instrument rating which authorized him to fly at night but only “in visual meteorological conditions”. He had twice applied to enlist in the Royal Australian Air Force but was rejected because of inadequate educational qualifications. He was a member of the Air Training Corps, determined to have a career in aviation.

Valentich was studying part-time to become a commercial pilot but had a poor achievement record, having twice failed all five commercial licence examination subjects, and as recently as the previous month had failed three more commercial licence subjects.

He had been involved in flying incidents, straying into a controlled zone in Sydney, for which he received a warning, and twice deliberately flying into cloud, for which prosecution was being considered. According to his father Guido, Frederick was an ardent believer in UFOs and worried about attacks from UFOs.

Valentich radioed Melbourne Flight Service at 7:06 PM to report an unidentified aircraft was following him at 4,500 feet and was told there was no known traffic at that level. Valentich said he could see a large unknown aircraft which appeared to be illuminated by four bright landing lights.

He was unable to confirm its type, but said it had passed about 1,000 feet (300 m) overhead and was moving at high speed. Valentich then reported that the aircraft was approaching him from the east and said the other pilot might be purposely toying with him.

Valentich said the aircraft was “orbiting” above him and that it had a shiny metal surface and a green light on it. Valentich reported that he was experiencing engine problems. Asked to identify the aircraft, Valentich radioed, “It isn’t an aircraft” when his transmission was interrupted by unidentified noise described as being “metallic, scraping sounds” before all contact was lost.

The final exchanges between Valentich (DSJ) and air traffic control are as follows:

19:06:14 DSJ [Valentich]: Melbourne, this is Delta Sierra Juliet. Is there any known traffic below five thousand? FS [Flight Services; Robey]: Delta Sierra Juliet, no known traffic. DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet, I am, seems to be a large aircraft below five thousand. 19:06:44 FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, What type of aircraft is it? DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet, I cannot affirm, it is four bright, and it seems to me like landing lights. FS: Delta Sierra Juliet. 19:07:31 DSJ: Melbourne, this is Delta Sierra Juliet, the aircraft has just passed over me at least a thousand feet above. FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, roger, and it is a large aircraft, confirmed? DSJ: Er-unknown, due to the speed it’s travelling, is there any air force aircraft in the vicinity? FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, no known aircraft in the vicinity. 19:08:18 DSJ: Melbourne, it’s approaching now from due east towards me. FS: Delta Sierra Juliet. 19:08:41 DSJ: (open microphone for two seconds.) 19:08:48 DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet, it seems to me that he’s playing some sort of game, he’s flying over me two, three times at speeds I could not identify. FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, roger, what is your actual level? DSJ: My level is four and a half thousand, four five zero zero. FS: Delta Sierra Juliet and you confirm you cannot identify the aircraft? DSJ: Affirmative. FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, roger, stand by. 19:09:27 DSJ: Melbourne, Delta Sierra Juliet, it’s not an aircraft it is (open microphone for two seconds). 19:09:42 FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, can you describe the – er – aircraft? DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet, as it’s flying past it’s a long shape (open microphone for three seconds) cannot identify more than it has such speed (open microphone for three seconds). It’s before me right now Melbourne. 19:10 FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, roger and how large would the – er – object be? 19:10:19 DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet, Melbourne, it seems like it’s chasing me.[21] What I’m doing right now is orbiting and the thing is just orbiting on top of me also. It’s got a green light and sort of metallic like, it’s all shiny on the outside. FS: Delta Sierra Juliet 19:10:46 DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet (open microphone for three seconds) It’s just vanished. FS: Delta Sierra Juliet. 19:11:00 DSJ: Melbourne, would you know what kind of aircraft I’ve got? Is it a military aircraft? FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, Confirm the – er ~ aircraft just vanished. DSJ: Say again. FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, is the aircraft still with you? DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet; it’s (open microphone for two seconds) now approaching from the south-west. FS: Delta Sierra Juliet 19:11:50 DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet, the engine is rough-idling. I’ve got it set at twenty three twenty-four and the thing is (coughing). FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, roger, what are your intentions? DSJ: My intentions are – ah – to go to King Island – ah – Melbourne. That strange aircraft is hovering on top of me again (open microphone for two seconds). It is hovering and (open microphone for one second) it’s not an aircraft. FS: Delta Sierra Juliet. 19:12:28 DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet. Melbourne (open microphone for seventeen seconds).

A sea and air search was undertaken that included oceangoing ship traffic, a P-3 Orion aircraft, plus eight civilian aircraft. The search encompassed over 1,000 square miles. Search efforts ceased on 25 October 1978.

Proposed explanation

UFOlogists have speculated that extraterrestrials either destroyed Valentich’s plane or abducted him, asserting that some individuals reported seeing “an erratically moving green light in the sky” and that he was “in a steep dive at the time.” Ufologists believe these accounts are significant because of the “green light” mentioned in Valentich’s radio transmissions.

Phoenix, Arizona – based UFO group Ground Saucer Watch claim that photos taken that day by plumber Roy Manifold show a fast moving object exiting the water near Cape Otway lighthouse. Though the pictures were not clear enough to identify the object, UFO groups argue that they show “a bona fide unknown flying object, of moderate dimensions, apparently surrounded by a cloud-like vapor/exhaust residue.”